We've asked representatives from the clubs a few questions relating to their club competing in the CHL in 2014/15. We've arranged the answers into 11 articles, one for each group. Group C consists of Frölunda Gothenburg, Villach SV, Genève-Servette HC and Briançon Diables Rouges.
What do you think of the group you've been drawn into?
Christian Lechtaler (general manager, Frölunda Gothenburg): "It will be an interesting group with teams from Austria, France and Switzerland. It's going to be a new experience for us and we're looking forward to it. There will be a lot of travelling and some of these teams are tough at home as well."
Stefan Widitsch (general manager, Villach SV): "We're really happy. It's going to be very interesting, especially for our fans, to see really strong European teams."
Louis Matté (assistant GM/assistant coach, Genève-Servette HC): "This is our first experience in an international European club competition. We’re glad we can play against a quality team from Sweden and also it will be nice to play against Briançon."
Viktor Szélig (player/assistant coach, Briançon Diables Rouges): "The draw and everything around was something new for us. We’re glad we can represent our town and French ice hockey."
Which team in your group do you think is the strongest?
Lechtaler (FHC): "I think they're all going to be tough, especially at home. But that's a good challenge for us. We're more concerned about giving our best performance."
Matté (GEN): "I think the strongest team should be Frölunda; we’ve heard a lot about quality of the Swedish league. It’s a positive thing for the guys to play some tough games like that."
Szélig (BRI): "The teams in it will be all good. Frölunda could be the strongest one in our group. Villach and Geneve won’t be weak, however. We played Geneve in a friendly game last season and we lost. We’ll see how it ends this time. One thing is sure though, it will be no competition for weak teams."
What does competing in the Champions Hockey League mean to your club?
Lechtaler (FHC): "It's a great tournament. We think it will be really fun and interesting, and at the same time it will give us some great experience."
Widitsch (VSV): "I have never felt such a positive feeling about a top European competition, especially now after such a long break that the Champions league took. This is a chance to go in a new direction and a new future for European hockey."
Matté (GEN): "We’re honoured to be a part of this year’s CHL. We had a great season last year and I believe we’ll keep our form. Our team expects a lot from this European competition and it could give us lots of experience and possibilities to learn."
Szélig (BRI): "This competition will be a new experience for us, just like for the other teams. We want to represent well our little town and all of French ice hockey in general.
How far do you expect your team to advance in the competition?
Lechtaler (FHC): "It's going to be a tough group, but we hope we can take a spot and go on to the playoffs."
Widitsch (VSV): "We would like to become a regular member in the future. We surprised a lot of people the last time we took part in a European championship (1999/2000 European Hockey League), we beat Vsetín, Bratislava and Magnitogorsk."
Matté (GEN): "Our primary goal is to get through our group into the knock-out phase. Then it will depend on how well we're playing, but we can surprise anyone."
Szélig (BRI): "We want to represent our town and our country with honour. We want to compete and show that we belong here. That's our primary goal. We don’t see it as just a pre-season tournament; we want to make a good impression. We would love to get through our group, but it’s too soon to talk about that. We’ll see how it goes. Our goal is to play some great games and be a great competitor to our opponents."
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